Making More Claybournes
by RaynaClaybourne
Summary: They say the first year of marriage is always the hardest. What will happen when Rayna and Deacon find themselves expecting not one but two babies, just a few months after their honeymoon. How will they muddle through all the challenges ahead?
1. Chapter 1

Four Months, that's how long it had been since Rayna and Deacon had said "I Do" after loving one another for half of their adult lives the pair were finally married. They had shared a short trip to the cabin for a few days after the wedding where they spent 3 days tangled up in each others arms and the sheets of the bed, only getting up long enough to make something to eat. When it was time to return home to everyday life as husband and wife, Rayna was surprised at how nicely everything had fallen into place. Their routines didn't change much after the nuptials and the return to their Belle Meade home. Rayna found herself working more and more trying to her damnedest to make sure Highway 65 didn't turn into the vanity label that everyone was so sure it already was. Deacon himself spent just as much time at the bar as she did the office — he was rarely home for dinner, more often than not he would come creeping into bed well past midnight most nights. On this particular day, Rayna came home early from work when she was plagued with a terrible migraine and an upset stomach. She noticed that Deacon's truck was surprisingly in the driveway, when the redhead walked into the house and sat her things down on the kitchen counter, she called out to him.

"Deacon? Babe are you home?" Rayna called out as she walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water out.

Deacon was down the hall in the music room working on a song when he heard Rayna call out his name..he looked back at the door. "I'm in the music room, babe." He called out back to her.

Rayna opened the bottle of water and walked down the long hallway off the kitchen towards the music room, when she reached the doorway she leaned against it and looked at him.

"Well, I sure am glad to see you home before dinner for a change." She teased as she walked into the room and leaned down and kissed his cheek.

Deacon looked up at her and smiled as Rayna leaned again against the doorframe of the door and teased him about being home. He watched her closely as she pushed herself off of the frame and glided across the room and over to him.

"I guess I could say the same thing about you, Ray." Deacon teased her as he extended his free hand and patted the couch cushion next to him. "Come sit, babe and tell me why you are home so early from the office." He added

Rayna walked around the couch and sat down next to him and leaned into his side as she peered over the notebook laying open on the coffee table in front of them. She sighed and pulled back slightly to look at him. He looked tired, she knew that he wasn't getting much sleep and he was on the verge of working himself to death, by trying to keep the bar up and going with Frankie back in rehab.

"Babe…come on talk to me.." Deacon spoke again, almost snapping Rayna out of her thoughts.

"I think I just caught a stomach bug or something. I've been sick for the last 4 days. At first, I thought it was food poisoning but it's been 3 more days since I wake up sick to my stomach." Rayna spoke softly and shrugged her shoulders as she opened the bottle of water in her hand and took a long sip, swishing the cold liquid around in her mouth a little before swallowing.

As Deacon listened to his wife speak about how she had been sick for a few days, he grew concerned with each word that came out of her mouth. Rayna had never been one to get sick and ever since he had known her he had only seen her sick a handful of times and it was almost never anything more than just a common cold.

"Have you been to the doctor?" He asked her leaning over to press his lips to her temple.

Rayna shook her head in response to his question. "You know I hate doctors."

"I know you hate the doctors, but babe if you are sick - you should go." Deacon looked over at her and gave her one of those cheesy grins he knew that she couldn't resist.

"I know it can't be more than some kind of food poisoning or a viral infection. I haven't ran a fever at all." Rayna spoke, "But I appreciate that you are so concerned." She smiled softly at him.

"You're sure?" He asked firmly,

Rayna nodded her head and looked at him, "I'm sure, babe."

Deacon looked down for a second and then back up to meet Rayna's gaze, he smiled lovingly at her. "If you aren't better in a week, you are going to the doctor though."

Rayna rolled her eyes at Deacon's command in reference to the doctor. In all of their years together, she had never felt as bad or sick as she was feeling in that moment. It almost felt like from the moment her feet hit the hardwood floor in the morning until she fell asleep at night she was nauseated over a sight or smell. Ginger Ale and Saltines were basically all her diet consisted of these last few days.

"So, this is what being married to Deacon Claybourne is like." She teased him as her own eyes locked with his. "Being told that I have to see a doctor.."

"I just want you healthy is all, Rayna. I can't stand the thought of seeing you so sick." Deacon replied as he dropped the pen in his hand onto the notebook in front of him and reached for Rayna's hand. "In sickness and in health, Ray." He added softly as he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her skin lightly.

Rayna smiled softly as Deacon spoke, she could see the concern in his eyes with how sick she was. Rayna was silently thanking God that Deacon hadn't been around yet when she was actually getting sick since this virus started. The last thing she wanted was for his concern to grow even more. When he dropped his pen and reached over for her hand, lifting it to his lips and presses a soft and sweet kiss to her skin, Rayna felt the little blonde hairs on her arms stand up at the sensation.

"Alright if things aren't any better in a week - I'll make an appointment and go see the doctor." Rayna spoke softly.

"Now Ray, this is what being married to Deacon Claybourne is like compromise, baby." Deacon smirked at her and leaned forward to press her lips to his.


	2. Chapter 2

Nearly two weeks after Rayna first woke up with a terrible upset stomach that lasted for days, she was finally starting to feel a little more human. There were still some mornings she would wake up and be nauseated by the smell of breakfast lingering through the house and then also some times when she was driving in the car and would get a wave of nausea surging through her so fast that she had to pull over to throw up on the side of road. She knew what was wrong, she didn't need to see a doctor to confirm what she already knew. She had been this sick twice before and she knew what that nauseated feeling symbolized. Rayna was pregnant, she felt it in her bones. She could feel the light tugging and little flutters in her stomach. There was a life growing inside of her womb, a life that she and Deacon had created. Again.

On this particular morning, Rayna skipped breakfast and convinced Deacon to let her sleep in to 'fight a migraine' and to take the girls to school for her. She was thankful that he didn't push the issue. She slept in until about 8:30 before she got up and walked into the bathroom off of the master suite and pulled a box of pregnancy test out from under her sink. She had hidden them there, three days prior and was waiting for a morning she was home alone to take the test. Rayna carefully removed one of the test sticks from the box and out of the wrapping it was confined in before she took the test, she replaced the cap back on the absorbent tip and laid the test on the bathroom counter and waited for the results as she washed her hands. It didn't take long for the test to light up a vibrant bright blue. The redhead felt her heart begin to race as she looked down at the blue positive sign in the window of the test, it was a feeling she remembered and was the same feeling she got when she confirmed her very first pregnancy.

Rayna leaned against the bathroom counter and filled her hands up with cold water before splashing the cool water on her face a few times. She was nervous. She didn't know how she was going to tell Deacon. Hell, she didn't even know how he was going to react to the news. They hadn't talked about having more kids and he had never expressed interest in having one more now that they were married. Rayna wasn't even sure how she felt about it, she loved Deacon more than anything else in the entire world, but was she really ready to face another 18+ years of child rearing? Maddie would be off in college soon, and Daphne would only be a few years behind her.

-TWO WEEKS LATER-

Rayna sat nervously on the exam table and stared at the wall in front of her - twirling both her engagement ring and her wedding band as she waited for the doctor to come in. She still hand't told Deacon she was pregnant. She had been purposely avoiding him when he would ask if she was feeling better and neglecting him of sex since she took the home pregnant test. She was afraid that the second he saw her unclothed he would know. Her breasts were getting bigger and more sore with each passing day, she wasn't showing yet and more than likely wouldn't be for a few more months, judging from her two past pregnancies. When Rayna heard a knock on the door of the exam room, she looked up as her Doctor entered the room.

"Good Morning, Rayna. What brings you in today?" Dr. Finch asked as he walked across the exam room and over to the stool, taking a seat.

"Well...I've been terribly sick the last couple of weeks and took a pregnancy test and it was positive. So, here I am." Rayna replied quietly, bitting her bottom lip.

Dr. Finch opened her chart and looked over it, flipping through the pages before he took his pen out and looked up at her. "When was your last period?" He questioned,

"June 23rd." Rayna replied nervously.

Her doctor took note of her last menstrual cycle and closed the chart and scooted the stool closer to the exam table. "Why don't you lay back for me and let's take a look and see what we can see today."

Rayna nodded and laid back on the exam table and scooted down as far as she could and placed her feet in the stirrups, as Dr. Finch turned the ultrasound machine on and prepared the wand. Rayna laid there and stared up at the ceiling while she waited patiently. As patient as one could in a situation like this.

Dr. Finch lifted the sheet dropped over Rayna's knees. "This might be a little uncomfortable at first, but just bare with me." He spoke as he slowly inserted the wand into her vagina.

Rayna shifted uncomfortably at the pressure from the wand and Dr. Finch moving it around inside of her to get a better look at her uterus and cervix. She turned to look at the screen of the monitor and bit down on her bottom lip again, her fingers toying with her rings once again.

"Alright..you see that black sac? That's the amniotic sac and that little flicker right there is the heartbeat." The Doctor said as he moved the wand some more until he found a second heartbeat. "And here's a second heartbeat." He added

Rayna's eyes widened in shock as she watched the two tiny flickers on the screen. Twins. She wasn't just pregnant, she was pregnant with twins..tears began to well up in her eyes as she stared more closely at the screen. "Two?" She choked out.

Her doctor nodded his head as he pressed a few buttons on the screen and printed her out a few pictures of the sonogram and smiled at her. "Two perfectly, healthy twins." He replied as he slide the wand out and discarded of the lubricated condom over it and turned the machine off. "Judging from their size and your last period. You're about 8 weeks and your due date is March 25." He added as he stood up from the stool and walked over to the sink and washed his hands. "You can sit up now."

Rayna sat up from the exam table and the tears began streaming down her face the second her doctors words hit her ears. When Rayna didn't speak her OB took notice at the tears streaming down her cheeks and how nervous and scared she looked. He had delivered both Maddie and Daphne and had known Rayna for well over 25 years - he hand't seen her this upset since her first pregnancy and delivery. He sighed and sat back down on the stool at the foot of the exam table and clear his throat.

"This is going to be a different kind of pregnancy than your first two, Rayna. Twins almost always come early - so, I need you to try to take it as easy as humanly possible. Do as little as you can." He said, "The good news is you are perfectly healthy and you have had two healthy and thriving pregnancies prior to this one. So, I have no doubt that you will have any kind of complications the next 7 months. However, we will keep a close eye on you throughout your pregnancy." He added, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you." Rayna replied, as she looked up at him and smile softly through the tears.

She didn't know what else to say, she was more nervous than she had ever been in her entire life. More than when she found out she was pregnant with Maddie. She and Deacon were literally starting their lives over together and trying to let go of the past and all of the pain they had caused one another and maybe, just maybe these babies were a piece of the puzzle. She was really pregnant and she was really pregnant with twins. She and Deacon were going to be welcoming not one, but two new lives into this world - whether they were ready or not.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been 2 1/2 weeks since Rayna's visit to the doctor to confirm her pregnancy and to receive her first sonogram. Deacon still didn't know and neither do anyone else. The secret was beginning to be weigh her down and she knew that she couldn't keep it from him for much longer. He had a right to know. After all, they were his babies too. They had created these lives that were now growing inside of Rayna's womb day by day, week by week for the next 8 months.

Rayna was standing in the kitchen making breakfast when Deacon came down the stairs and rounded the corner and came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Something sure does smell good." He muttered into her hair

"I made your favorite for breakfast. A ham, cheese, and bell pepper omelette - topped with hot sauce, toast and oatmeal"

Deacon smiled and kissed the side of her head as he looked out across the kitchen counter at the spread of food that she had just prepared. He had never met anyone in his entire life that could make his favorite omelette for breakfast quite like the redhead could - or maybe he just didn't like the way anyone else made them.

"I don't deserve you, woman" He responded and kissed her head again.

Rayna smiled softly at him and turned her head towards his and locked her gaze on his.

"Maybe not, but you have me." She replied softly and pecked his lips, "Now quit that grabbing on me and sit down and eat."

Deacon smiled and did as he was told and began to slowly pull away from Rayna's body, walking around the counter he found his seat at the island. Once he sat down he picked up the glass and took a sip of the orange juice in front of him before picking up his fork and taking a bite into the omelette. He looked up and watched as Rayna walked around the counter herself and sat down next to him and began eating her own food.

"What time are you going to be home tonight?" She asked, turning her head to the side to look at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and took another bite. "Probably around 4. I just want to make sure that everything is running smoothly at the bar - and I need to check inventory" He replied

"Well, I would love to talk to you about something tonight when you get home."

"Sure thing, babe. Everything ok?" He asked nervously

"Everything's fine, I just want to talk."

They allowed the silence to fall between them as they both finished eating their breakfast and soon after Deacon left the house for work. Rayna was left to clean up from breakfast and find some way to share with him that their family would be growing by two. She was still unbelievably nervous and wasn't sure how he was going to react. She so desperately wanted this to be the fairy tale experience of pregnancy that she didn't get when she was pregnant with Maddie. She wanted to be able to see the joy and love in Deacon's eyes as he heard the sound of his unborn child's heartbeat, felt them kick and everything in between for the first time. They didn't get to share all of those beautiful first moments together when she was pregnant with Maddie - while these babies were not conceived to make up for the lost years that Deacon didn't have with Maddie - Rayna couldn't help but be excited that he would finally be able to witness all of the little things that bothered him the most about not being there when she was little.

xxxxxxxx

7 hours and 38 minutes, that's all long it took Rayna to settle on the best way to tell Deacon that she was pregnant. She couldn't think of a better way than to put what she was feeling and the news to music. They had spent so much of their lives communicating through songs that she found it completely fitting that one of the biggest moments of their lives should be no different. It didn't take long for everything Rayna had ever wanted to say came flooding out of her faster than she could get it jotted down on paper. When she was finished she looked over the words on the paper in front of her and began smiling proudly. It had been so long since she had written anything on her own and to say she was quite pleased with the finished product of her words would be an understatement. Of course sharing these words with Deacon would be a completely different story.

By some miracle of God, Rayna managed to finish the song with a mere 30 minutes to spare before Deacon was due to arrive home for the evening. Rayna sat on the couch in the living room off of the kitchen and waited nervously and just like clock work, the redhead heard his truck pull up outside - at exactly 4:00pm. She was nervous, more nervous than she had ever been. A part of her felt like she was going to pass out and another part of her felt like she was going to be physically ill. When Deacon walked into the house and sat his bag down on the kitchen counter she turned around to look at him.

"Hi, babe. How were things at the bar?" She asked cheerfully, trying desperately to push the anxiety she was feeling aside and not let it show. She stood up to walk into the kitchen to greet him with a warm loving hug and kiss.

"Surprisingly good. So far, Frankie's sub is working out really well." Deacon replied as he wrapped his arms around her and placed a soft kiss to her lips. "I sure did miss you today, though."

Rayna moved her hands to wraps around his neck and smiled against his lips as she kissed him back. "I missed you, too, babe. This house sure is quiet when the girls are at school and there's no one else here but little ole me." She smiled softly.

"What do you want to get a dog or something?" Deacon questioned taking her hand and leading her back over to the couch and sitting down with her.

"Or something...that requires a little more work, love and attention." She paused nervously, "I'm not much of a dog person - you know that." She added, swinging her legs over his and leaning into him.

"Oh, I remember." Deacon teased backed, "So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked.

Rayna felt her heart drop into her stomach when Deacon jumped straight into the conversation that she wanted to have with him and her nerves and anxiety about telling him instantly came back. She looked down at her hands and sighed. God, all of the ways she loved this man and was praying in a thousand different ways that he didn't freak out about the pregnancy or the fact that they were having twins. Did he want more kids? Did she want more kids? Should they of talked about this when they got married? Should they have been more careful? Rayna's mind was working in overdrive and she was heard Deacon speak it snapped her back to reality. She wouldn't know any of the answers to any of her questions until she told him. She had to tell him.

"Ray, what's wrong?" Deacon asked bringing his hand up to her chin and cupping her face in his palm. "You can tell me anything."

Rayna smiled faintly and leaned into his palm for a second before reaching over to the coffee table and grabbing her notebook. "I wrote something for you today...and I want you to just play the first tune that comes to your mind, while I sing it to you." She spoke softly.

"You wrote something for me?" Deacon asked confused

Rayna nodded.

Deacon was confused. Rayna hadn't written anything for him on her own in years. Not since the last time she had sent him to rehab and then she went off and married another man and had _**their**_ baby with him. Deacon cringed slightly, at the thought of the past and of Teddy Conrad witnessing his daughter being born, cutting her cord and holding her for the first time. When he looked into Rayna's eyes he could tell that she was nervous, but for once in their entire relationship he couldn't read her. He had no clue what she was thinking. He got up from the couch and walked across the room and grabbed one of the few guitars that he had displayed in the living room and walked back and sat down next to her again - positioning the guitar to rest in his lap.

"Is this a happy song or….?" He trailed off...

"Happy. I hope." Rayna replied opening her book to the page she had book marked.

Deacon nodded and began strumming along to a semi-slow, yet cheerful beat. Rayna took a deep breath and stared at the words on the page in front of her for a second.

' _ **Don't be a coward. You love him and he loves you. Tell him.'**_ She thought to herself before taking one last deep breath and began singing..

" _you never saw her the way I did,_

 _the way her nose is like yours._

 _you never saw the way her eyes shined,_

 _the keeper of the stars_

 _nothing calmed her down,_

 _like the sound of our voices singing together_

 _I had a piece of you, and I told myself that's all I needed"_

Rayna sang as Deacon continued to strum along to her words, tears beginning to well up in both of their eyes

" _But, babe, we've been given a second chance_

 _to be the family we were always meant to be_

 _and this time we're in this together,_

 _because our love created_

 _two beating hearts_

 _you and me"_

By the time Rayna had stopped singing she had tears streaming down her face and Deacon's tears were falling from his own eyes. He stopped strumming on the guitar and sat it down on the floor next to his feet. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against his.

"Babe...are you?" He choked and pulled her closer to him.

Rayna nodded her head and a few tears fell down her cheeks. "Yeah, I am..." She cried


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author Note:**_

 _ **Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. I appreciate all of the support.**_

 _ **Review and follow along to find out how Rayna & Deacon muddle through the news and prepare for the arrival of Baby A and Baby B Claybourne. ;) **_

"Are you sure?" Deacon asked his eyes widening as the realization finally hit

"I'm positive." Rayna cried softly and paused for a brief second before taking a deep breath

"Remember when I had that bug and I told you a few weeks later that I was feeling better. I lied. I was still terribly sick, and my boobs were so sore. I just knew that I was pregnant. I hadn't felt like that since I was pregnant with the girls." Rayna paused for a second looking down at her notebook. "I took a test and it was positive, so I wanted to see the doctor before I said anything to you about it - and he confirmed that the test was in fact positive and I was extremely pregnant." She trailed off

Deacon listened to her as she told him how she found out that she was pregnant. She had known for weeks and she had been keeping this a secret from him for weeks. He knew that she had been acting different and a little off ever since she had come down with what he thought was just a stomach bug, but Deacon never in his wildest dreams thought that this would be why she had been so sick. They hadn't even celebrated one year as husband and wife together yet and here they were...about to bring not one but two new lives into the world.

"Babe, why didn't you tell me?" He asked taking notice in her head looking down at her notebook in her lap

Rayna shrugged her shoulders at his question. Even she didn't fully understand why she waited so long to tell him that she was pregnant. That they were going to be parents. Again. She couldn't tell him that she was scared. Scared of how he would react, scared that he wouldn't want this or her anymore. Marriage was hard, but babies were even harder and can strain a marriage and relationship in ways you didn't think were possible.

"I guess I was scared." She paused, "We hadn't talked about this in so long and certainly not at all since we got back together and married. I guess, I just always thought that I was done having kids after Daphne." She shrugged and looked up at him, "And I was scared of how you would react to the news." She added

Deacon sighed and ran his hand across her cheek gently and stroked her cheek with his thumb, he could tell she was scared, he could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. He couldn't blame her - he had let her down on more than one occasion, but that was so long ago and he was different now.

"You're right we haven't talked about this in a long time - the last time we talked about this...you sent me to rehab for a 4th time so we could work on things, but then started seeing Teddy..." He paused and pulled his hand away from her face and ran it through his hair, "I got out and asked you to be my wife and then I messed it all up, Ray. I got wasted and you left me for him." He stood up from the couch and began to pace around the living room.

Deacon wanted to be excited about the fact that Rayna was pregnant, he thought that he was deep down, but in that moment he was feeling anything but excitement. He was shocked that this had happened and that she was pregnant. He continued to pace the living room floor as the news sank in and he felt like he had been punched in the gut.

Rayna watched as Deacon got up from the couch and paced around the living room on the other said of the coffee table from where she sat on the couch. He was nervous and she was too. She wasn't entirely sure what kind of reaction she was going to get from him, but his current state seemed fitting all things considered. Rayna stood up from the couch and walked over to him and placed her hand on his back and began rubbing small circles on his back.

"You know that if I could take all of that back I would, but I can't" She paused, tears threatening to fall from her eyes again. "We both messed up back then Deacon. I wish things had been different and that we could have raised Maddie together, but all we have is now. Maddie, Daphne and these babies." She looked at him and sighed softly, "This pregnancy and these babies are our second chance to be the parents and have the life we were always wanted and were meant to have with each other." She added and wiped the tears that were now falling from her cheeks.

Deacon closed his eyes when he felt Rayna's hand on his back. Her tender touch creating little small dances of circles. It was something that she had always done to calm him down and nearly 20 years later it still had the ability to do just that. He listened to her speak about the past, about the girls, about the twins and about the life that they had always wanted with one another. From the moment that Deacon had set eyes on Rayna he knew that she was the one, the one that he was supposed to raise a family with and spend the rest of his days loving. He had never loved anyone as much as he loved the redhead standing beside him and he had never been loved by anyone the same way Rayna loved him. He was flawed but she was too. For all the hell they had put each other through during the course of their relationship - Deacon still had never wanted anything more in his entire life than to be her husband and a father to their kids.

When Deacon didn't respond and just stood there staring out the window, Rayna sighed and looked down at the floor.

"Babe, talk to me what's going on in that brain of yours. Do you want this, Deacon?" She questioned, "We don't have to do this if you don't want it." She added tearfully.

He didn't respond to her comments just turned around and cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers - kissing her with desire and passion for a few seconds before pulling away and hovering his lips inches away from hers to speak.

"I want this, Ray. I want you, I want the girls and I want these babies." He spoke lowly with misty eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Rayna was taken back when Deacon turned around and pressed his lips to hers in a heated and passionate kiss. Her lips meshed against his when his tongue drug across her bottom lip, Rayna parted her lips to allow him access to her mouth and instantly their tongues began swirling around and battling one another's for control of the kiss. It was quick and intense, Deacon hadn't kissed her with force and hunger like that in a long time. When he pulled away to speak Rayna's eyes fluttered open slowly to reveal the same level of passion burning in her own eyes as there was in his. When Deacon began to speak and she heard him say that he wanted this, the tears that she didn't know she was holding back began falling down her face. She never in a million years thought that he would honestly tell her that he didn't want this. They had tried so long to have the exact kind of life that they had with one another now. Sure the timing was off, but when had timing ever been right for Rayna and Deacon?

"You do?" She spoke quietly, her eyes locked on his

"Of course, I do. I have never wanted anything more in my entire life." Deacon replied, his thumb wiping the tears away from her cheek. "I'm sorry - if I made you think I didn't. I'm just shocked is all, Ray. I didn't think this would happen, especially after all of the hell I've put you through." He added

"I didn't think it would either, but it happened." She paused and looked down, "These babies are coming whether we are ready or not." Rayna replied pressing her forehead against his.

She pulled away from his embrace long enough to walk to the coffee table and pull the sonogram picture out of her notebook and walk back to Deacon. Rayna moved to stand in front of him and held her hand out with the small black and white picture in her palm. Deacon watched as she picked a piece of paper out of her notebook and then walked back over to him with it. He was confused when she extended her hand and he looked down. Rayna took notice in his confused state and smiled faintly at him.

"This...is the first photo of our babies. They're perfect, healthy and the doctor says that they are developing exactly the way that they are supposed to at this age of gestation." She smiled at him, handing the photo to him.

Deacon took the photo from her and stared down at the two tiny blobs with the words 'Baby A & Baby B' written above them. The reality of it all still hadn't sank in - he barely knew what he was doing with Maddie and Daphne - how was he going to be a good dad to these babies? Deacon couldn't help but stare at the photo as Rayna continued to speak.

"I want you to keep that and I want to share all of this with you, Deacon. We've gotten this thing wrong more times than either of us can count, but they're your babies as much as they are mine. We made them together." She paused, and watched him staring at the photo. "I know we didn't plan this and we're supposed to spend the rest of our lives making love, music and raising these two girls we've got up." Rayna paused again, "But God had other plans for us, babe. I know this doesn't make up for all of the time you lost with Maddie and I don't want you to look at these babies as a do-over for all of the lost years. But I do want you to experience all of the joys and non joys that pregnancy, child birth and parenting have to offer."

Deacon hadn't taken his eyes off of the photo since he had taken it out of Rayna's hand. The sight of his babies, _**their**_ babies and Rayna word's were punching him in the gut. The tears that had formed in his eyes were now beginning to fall down his cheeks as he turned his head to look at Rayna.

"You are not going to do this alone. We are doing this together, all of it. I want to be at every appointment. I want to pick out cribs, nursery decor and I want to fight over baby names with you." Deacon spoke and wiped the tears away from his face. "I love you so much, baby."

Rayna smiled and laughed a little at Deacon's words, "I want you to fight with me about baby names and everything. I can't imagine doing this with anyone but you. We've waited a real long time for this, babe. It's finally our turn, our second chance to do this right."

Deacon smiled and pressed his lips to Rayna's and pecked her lips before he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against the small bump on her stomach. He kissed her bump a few times as tears soaked her white cotton tee.

"Hi, babies. This is your daddy - I'm not always going to get this parenting thing right but if there's one thing I can promise you it's that I am always going to be here for you and love you, even when you hate me. I'm going to love you." Deacon spoke softly against her stomach. "I love you both more than you'll ever know." He added

When Deacon dropped down to his knees and buried his face in her stomach Rayna couldn't help much smile and look down at him proudly as he kissed and rubbed the swell of her stomach over and over again and placed kiss after kiss - where their babies were growing. She ran her fingers through his hair slowly and closed her eyes as she continued to listen to him quietly talk to them. Her heart fluttered with so much love she felt like it was going to burst when she heard Deacon tell the twins that he was always going to love them and he already loved them more than anything. In that moment, Rayna was calm and the upcoming days were beginning to look a lot more promising with this man and his love for her and their kids by her side.


	6. Chapter 6

Rayna sat on the exam table with Deacon sitting in a chair in the corner of the room bouncing his leg nervously. She watched him for a few minutes smiling. His nerves had been getting the better of him ever since Rayna had told him she was pregnant. He was spending every waking moment watching her every move and constantly asking if she was ok and if the twins were fine. Rayna couldn't even lift a glass of water without Deacon thinking that something was going to happen.

"Babe, there is nothing to be nervous about." Rayna spoke softly, her eyes scanning over his face.

"Who said I was nervous?"

"You didn't have to tell me you were nervous. It's written all over your face."

Deacon opened his mouth to speak before he turned his gaze from Rayna's eyes down to his legs. He hadn't even realized he was bouncing his leg until he looked. He stopped and glanced back up at Rayna and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm sorry, I'm a little out of my element here, Ray."

"I know, but this is just a routine check-up to see how they are doing and to see how much these little beans of ours have grown. There is nothing to be nervous about."

She knew he was nervous and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous. Pregnancy suited her with Maddie, she was still fairly young and barely gained any weight and didn't really show until she was nearly 7 months along. Her pregnancy with Daphne on the other hand had been a completely different experience. She had terrible toxemia and was the size of her first apartment by month 5. It was true what they say every woman and every pregnancy is different, Rayna's 3rd pregnancy was proving to be more challenging than her first two combined - she had double the morning sickness, double the aches and pains, and double the extra body weight already.

"and if they aren't where they are supposed to be?" Deacon asked

He didn't want to ask, but he did. Deacon worried about Rayna every second of every day. He worried about her working too much and being too stressed, he worried that the twins weren't developing at the rate that they should be, He didn't tell her that he woke up several times a night and watched her sleep. The raising and falling of her chest and the way her hand cradled the swell of her stomach, protecting their babies in every way possible calmed him in a way that only the sight of the redhead could.

Rayna sighed and looked over at him. She hated that he was this nervous about everything, it definitely wasn't the kind of experience that she wanted him to have throughout this entire pregnancy, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was this worried and nervous for her when she was pregnant with Maddie.

"Deacon, they're fine. You can't keep thinking something is gonna go wrong." Rayna paused and locked her eyes on his, "Enjoy the moment. You are only going to drive yourself and me crazy if you over analyze everything that happens. I love you, but we have to have faith in God that they are healthy and happy. How could they not be happy, babe? You sing to them every day and they can't even hear yet."

"You're right. I'm sorry." He spoke and moved his chair next to the exam table and lifted her hand into his and pressed the back of her hand to his lips.

Rayna smiled when she saw him move his chair to her and kiss the back of her hand. She laced her fingers in with his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I want you to enjoy these moments, not freak out every time I sneeze."

His constant need to check on her was adorable and while Rayna found the fact that he wanted to do everything for her and just wanted her to take it easy and relax was extremely thoughtful and sent her hormones through the roof. It wasn't how she wanted him to remember this pregnancy. They were in this together.

"I got it. Enjoy the moments."

"Exactly, enjoy the moments."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Roughly 20 minutes later the Doctor came into the room and Rayna was laying back on the exam room table getting prepared for the ultrasound. She lifted her shirt slightly exposing the bare skin of her bump as the doctor squirted the gel onto Rayna's stomach and turned the machine on.

"Alright, you two ready to see these babies?" The doctor asked

Rayna looked over at Deacon and smiled softly at him as she reached her hand for his. "Are you ready to see and hear your babies heartbeats, babe?" She asked as she laced her fingers in with his.

Deacon sat quietly in the chair and watched as the doctor turned the machine on and prepped Rayna for the sonogram. When Rayna reached for his hand and locked their hands together he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and looked into her eyes and nodded his head. The nurse took note of the nod and slowly began to move the wand across Rayna's stomach. Deacon kept his eyes on the screen and watched as the images moved on the monitor, when suddenly the sounds of a two heartbeats came flooding out of the speakers and filled the room. Rayna turned her attention to Deacon to see his reaction and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Both Baby A and B both have strong heartbeats which is exactly what we want that means they are both developing at the same rate." The Doctor spoke as she began taking various measurements of one baby and printed a couple of pictures for them. "Baby A is measuring right on schedule for 12 weeks gestation."

Rayna looked at the screen smiling as she gave Deacon's hand a squeeze before looking back at him. "That's one of our babies, Deacon."

Deacon was fighting back the tears as soon as the wand had been placed on Rayna's stomach and the sounds of their babies heartbeats fluttered through the room. It was one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. "It's perfect, Ray." He choked back the tears and brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her hand softly.

The doctor moved the wand to the right side of Rayna's stomach and the image of the second baby flashed up on the screen and she repeated the same task from the previous baby, taking measurements and printing a handful of photos out for them.

"Alright, it looks like Baby B is a little smaller than Baby A, but that is quite alright."

"Is that bad that one is smaller than the other?" Deacon asked

The doctor shook her head at him as she pulled the wand away from Rayna's stomach and wipes the gel off of her stomach. "It is actually pretty common with twins. The bigger one is considered the alpha and as long as the smaller twin is still developing at the same rate, we don't worry about it too much." She replied and took the gloves off and discarded them into the trash.

"Ok, so what do we do to make sure that it's just a smaller weight issue?" Rayna asked raising up from the exam table and pulling her shirt back down.

"You are doing all of the right things, Rayna. Right now the second baby is just about an ounce smaller than the first baby. So, it's not much for us to worry about. We just need to make sure that they are both getting enough nutrition and nourishment throughout the remainder of your pregnancy."

"But the baby is ok...right?" Deacon asked worried

"Yes, Mr. Claybourne, the baby is perfectly healthy. They both are." She smiled and handed them the pictures and wrote down some notes in Rayna's chart. "Have y'all decided if you want to find out the sex at your next appointment?" She asked

Rayna looked from the doctor to Deacon and shrugged her shoulders. They hadn't talked about whether or not they wanted to know what the babies were, but Rayna knew deep down that Deacon was hoping for at least one boy so badly she could practically taste it when he kissed her.

"Babe? Do you want to find out or wait until they are born?" She asked him

"I would like to know, but we'll do whatever you want to do." He replied softly rubbing his thumb over her hand gently.

"We want to know." She replied to the doctor and the doctor nodded her head.

"Alright, the receptionist will schedule your next appointment before you leave. I will see you in a few weeks." She added and got up from the stool and walked out of the exam room.

Rayna and Deacon sat there in silence for what felt like a year before Deacon leaned closer to her and pressed his forehead against hers and kissed her softly. "I love you. Thank you for this and thank you for these perfect and beautiful little babies." He spoke lowly against her lips.

Rayna smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back softly. "I can't take all the credit. We made these perfect beings together. Thank you for loving me and them so much already."

Deacon wrapped his arms around Rayna's waist and locked his gaze on hers, his lips hovered above hers as he placed soft and slow kisses against her lips. "Why don't we go home and we can thank each other all afternoon long for this wonderful life we have."

"I would love that. Take me home, babe."


	7. Chapter 7

It had been 3 weeks since Rayna's last doctor's appointment. The second trimester was proving to be just as stressful as the first. Her morning sickness had yet to fade out and she was finding herself increasingly blinded by hormonal migraines. Deacon had been keeping busy with getting the girls to school when Rayna was too sick to get out of bed. He had really stepped up around the house in a big way and she was so grateful for him. Rayna was laying on the couch answering some emails on her phone when Deacon walked through the door and slide two big boxes into the kitchen.

"Ray? You here?" He called out,

"I'm in the den, babe." Rayna replied and sat up on the couch, she looked at the boxes leaned up against the wall in her kitchen and she raised her eyebrows. "What's that?"

Deacon pointed at the boxes, "These?" Rayna nodded her head at him slowly, "Cribs. I went ahead and picked up their cribs and was gonna go set them up tonight." Deacon shrugged and walked into the den and sat down on the couch next to her, he lifted her legs up and placed her feet in his lap.

"What kind of cribs" Rayna questioned

"Don't worry, Ray. I got the ones you said you wanted." Deacon assured her and began massaging her feet.

Rayna leaned back against the cushion on the back of the couch and smiled at him as he began rubbing her feet. "I wish we could do two gold iron cribs. I wanted one when I was pregnant with Maddie and I could never find one." She sighed,

Deacon continued to work on her foot and he listened to her talk about the kind of crib she really wanted and knowing that it was only a matter of days before she sent him back to the store to find the exact ones to meet her standards.

"Babe, I don't know if that'll be a good crib for a boy." He teased

Rayna laughed slightly and rolled her eyes at him, "Babe, we don't know that these babies are boys."

Deacon winked at her, "Oh, I know. I only make boys."

"We have a daughter. Hate to break it to you, but you make girls too." She laughed

"I think you corrupted the conception process with Maddie." He teased,

Rayna kicked him playfully, "How'd I manage to do that? My genes weren't even remotely dominate in that child. She came out looking just like you and I couldn't deny it at all."

"All I'm saying is you had to of done some kind of witchcraft to make sure you had a girl when you got pregnant instead of a boy." He shrugged,

"Deacon, I assure you, I did no such thing. Maddie was just as much a shock to me as she was to you. I wasn't expecting to get pregnant that night at the cabin. We were careless and what we did was risky."

Rayna looked down at her hands as they talked about that night Maddie was conceived, they hand't planned on it and while protection hadn't exactly been their strong suit in the past - it really wasn't on their mind that night. When Rayna's period didn't come two weeks later, she knew that they had done something that they wouldn't be able to come back from. She was pregnant, they were going to have a baby. Only they weren't because Deacon was in rehab for the 4th time and while she was hoping it would stick, she had a feeling it wouldn't.

"We had been careless more times than just that night, Rayna. We stopped using protection long before you ever got pregnant with Maddie. We wanted a baby, we talked about trying." Deacon sighed, he hated that he had missed so much when it came to Maddie and Rayna's pregnancy with her. While he had forgiven her for what she had done by keeping his daughter from him - he couldn't forget what she had done.

"People plan and God laughs, babe." Rayna shrugged,

"I guess so." Deacon shrugged himself as the silence fell between them,

Rayna finally broke the silence, "Have you ate lunch? These two are making me have a strong craving for Chinese."

"Nah, I haven't ate yet. You should of called me, I would've picked you some up." Deacon kneeded the bottom of foot, causing a small moan to escape from Rayna's lips.

"It's ok, I can just make something here." She smiled down at him lazily,

Deacon shook his head, "I want you to have what you are craving. I'll go pick some up."

Rayna smiled and reached for his hand, "I don't deserve you."

"You love me more than I deserve even after all of the hell I have put you through." He winked at her got up from the couch and kissed the top of her head. "Be back as soon as I can, baby." With that Deacon kissed her one more time and left the house to go pick up Chinese to satisfy one of Rayna's many cravings that she would have over the next 24 hours.

Rayna picked her phone back up and continued going through the mass amount of emails she had gotten over the last couple of days and had yet to respond to. She would be thankful for her maternity leave to kick in, so she could avoid the emails and constant phone calls from the office all together and just focus on herself, Deacon, the girls and the twins.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rayna and Deacon had opted out of being told what the sex of the babies were and instead had reluctantly agreed to let Tandy, the girls and Scarlett throw them a Gender Reveal party instead. Rayna hadn't been completely sold on the idea, Deacon on the other hand was more open to being surprised by the gender of _**HIS**_ babies as he liked to call them more than anyone had ever imagined him being considering parties weren't exactly Deacon's thing.

Rayna was sitting on the couch while Deacon helped the girls setting up decorations for the party, while Tandy and Scarlett had run out to get the cake from the bakery.

"Those streamers aren't twisted enough," Rayna looked up from her book as she spoke.

"Dad, can't curl ribbons or in this case streamers the way you can, Mom." Maddie rolled her eyes and continued hanging the streamers on the wood beams on the ceiling in the kitchen and den.

"I said that I would help y'all do this, I'm not helpless - I'm pregnant." She sat up on the couch and swung her feet to the floor and stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"Mom, Dad is going to flip if he finds out that you are helping set up instead of resting." Daphne mentioned,

"Once again, I'm pregnant not helpless. I can help hang streamers, girls. Plus, your daddy ain't my boss." Rayna grabbed the ribbon from the counter and began curly in and cutting the appropriate size for Maddie to continue to hang.

Deacon had just spent the last 45 minutes decorating the mailbox and porch with balloons, streamers and signs. When he came back inside the house he took note of Maddie standing on a chair hanging streamers from the ceiling and Rayna tried to assist in the hanging of the streamers.

"Babe, what are you doing? We told you that we were going to take care of this."

Deacon rushed over to her and took the pink streamers from her hand and laid them back on the counter. Rayna sighed and looked at him and snatched them back off of the counter. She loved Deacon and she appreciated everything he was doing for her, but he was starting to smother her with concern for her well being. She couldn't sneeze without Deacon thinking that one of the twins was going to fall out of her from the jolt. He was nervous that much was obvious, but Rayna would had been lying if she said he wasn't driving her up the wall.

"Deacon, I want to help. I'm tired of you sitting me on the couch like I'm gonna break. I've done this before. I love you and I love you for wanting to take care of me, but I know what I can and can't do. I'm not going to do anything that'll jeopardize myself or these babies." Rayna looked up at him with a pleading yet determined look in her eyes that Deacon knew all too well.

"I worry about you is all, Ray. I know this is taking a lot out on you." He spoke softly and cupped her cheek in his hand.

Truth was Rayna's last doctor's appointment hadn't gone the way they had hoped that it would. Her gestational diabetes test came back positive. She was having to monitor her sugar levels and add in certain physical activities in order to keep her levels equal. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, Rayna was beginning to swell more than normal - even for a twin pregnancy. It didn't matter if she was standing, sitting, or walking her feet were always swollen an outrageous amount. She locked her eyes on Deacon's and accepted defeat and put the streamers back on the counter. He was right the pregnancy was taking a lot out on her, it was so different from her pregnancy with either of the girls.

"I know you're worried. I'm worried too. I don't want you to think that I can't help out or do anything though." She whispered lowly at him,

They had yet to tell the girls about the gestational diabetes or the swelling. Rayna and Deacon knew that they would worry as well and that was the last thing that either of them wanted. They wanted them to be teenagers and not to have to constantly worry about Rayna or the babies. Deacon was doing that enough for everyone involved.

"I know you can help out and you can do things yourself, but babe you know what the doctor said. She told you take it as easy as possible. We don't want to risk these two coming any earlier than they already will." He kissed her forehead and knelt down on the floor in front of her.

Deacon rubbed her stomach and placed 2 separate kisses to her belly as he spoke softly to the twins. He had been doing that a lot lately, mainly to tell them how much he loved them and that he hoped they were both boys so he wouldn't feel so outnumbered in the house. She ran her fingers through his hair slowly and smiled down at him as she watched him kissing, rubbing and talking to their babies. For that brief moment, standing in the kitchen with Deacon - all of the issues with the pregnancy faded away and it was just them. Enjoying all the good and bad that the experience had to offer them.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Y'all have really outdone yourselves with this today. Thank you for making us agree to let you throw this party for us. We appreciate it." Rayna smiled at Tandy, Scarlett and the girls.

She was sitting at the kitchen counter with her legs and feet stretched out in the chair in front as Deacon and the girls cleaned up the kitchen before they cut the cake.

"I figured since this is your last baby and all, you might as well go all out and have one of these things. I know how special you want all of this to be for him." Tandy spoke up from her coffee cup,

Rayna nodded her head slowly at her sister, "I do want this to be special for him. I want him to enjoy every second of it. I think finding out what we are having in the comfort of our own home surrounded by family is the perfect way to find out." She paused, "I didn't even find out what I was having when I was pregnant with Maddie - I only found out with Daphne because Teddy wanted to know so badly." She shrugged and sipped on her own cup of tea.

"Why didn't you ever want to know when you were pregnant with Maddie?" Tandy asked

Rayna shrugged her shoulders and circled the tea cup on her counter. "I don't know, I did at first, then I didn't. I guess if I knew what she was before I had her, it would of made everything hurt more."

Tandy looked at her sadly, "With Deacon?"

Rayna nodded her head,

"Oh, babe. You did the right thing when it came to Deacon back then and Maddie." Tandy tried to reassure her, "I know it was hard on you, but it was right."

"It was right in your mind and Daddy's mind, but it wasn't right Tandy. I kept his child from him, I didn't tell him I was pregnant. I knew that baby was his and I knew that if I knew what we were going to have, it would make not telling him even worse." Rayna teared up, "It was hard on me not just while I was pregnant, it was hard for the 13 years that he didn't know that she was his daughter. We created that beautiful being with one another and I couldn't share it with him." She wiped the tears that had fallen down her face.

Tandy remained silent and sat there and listened to her, she felt partially guilty for how much grief that Rayna felt during her pregnancy with Maddie. After all, it was her and Lamar who had really pushed Teddy on Rayna and Tandy who had talked her sister out to even telling Deacon she was pregnant.

"Look, Ray. I know that back then we all may have said and done some things that we shouldn't of and it didn't turn out the way that you wanted it to turn out when she was little. I was wrong about Deacon, I saw how much he loved Maddie even though he thought she was someone else's all those years of her growing up and I see how much that he loves her now."

Tandy paused and looked at Deacon washing dishes with Maddie and Daphne, taking note in how much fun the three were having, splashing water and tossing bubbles onto one another.

"He loves you, those girls and these twins so much. He's a good man and for that I am sorry that he missed all of this with Maddie. I really am, Rayna." Tandy reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Don't think about all of the bad back then, think about the good times when he would love on her and play with her as if he knew she were his." She gave her another squeeze.

Rayna wiped her face with her free hand and nodded her head in response to Tandy's words. In 17 years she had never once apologized for convincing Rayna not to tell Deacon about the baby or the fact that he was possibly going to be a father. For years she had held onto that angry towards Tandy.

"You're right, Tandy." Rayna paused and looked at Deacon and the girls, "Y'all ready to cut this cake and find out what these babies are?" She called out,

Deacon finished drying a plate and put it away in the cabinet and tossed the dish towel onto the counter and walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"That cake taunting you babe?" He teased

"Just a little, You know I can't really have it and yet here it sits right in front of me,"

Maddie brought a butter knife and 6 plates over and sat them down. "Here, mom." She handed Rayna the knife

"Thanks, sweet girl." She looked up at Deacon and smiled, "You ready for this babe?"

"I've been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember." Deacon smiled

"Alright, here we go." Rayna smiled at everyone

Deacon placed his hand on top of hers and they cut into the bottom layer of the two-tier cake and pulled a piece out. Tandy held the plate next to the cake as they laid the first piece onto the plate to reveal a blue center.

"A BOY!" Daphne exclaimed,

Rayna looked up at Deacon with tears in her eyes, "We're having a boy, Deac." She leaned against him,

Deacon leaned down and pressed his lips to hers and kissed her softly, "I'm having a son." He whispered against his lips.

"Y'all can make out once you cut the second piece and tell us what the other baby is." Scarlett rolled her eyes at the pair.

"Good Luck with that Scarlett, they haven't ever been able to keep their hands to theirselves. That's why she's pregnant." Tandy laughed and grabbed another plate from the stack,

"Shut Up, Tandy." Rayna replied as they cut another piece of cake and laid it on the plate and revealed a pink center.

"Another beautiful baby girl." Scarlett shrieked loudly.

"Oh my gosh, the best of both worlds, a boy and a girl." Daphne spoke excitedly and nudged Maddie in the side,

"Now, you'll have a little sister to annoy you." Maddie smirked at her,

"Congrats, guys. They're gonna be beautiful babies, Ray." Tandy hugged her sister, "Deacon, you aren't a half bad husband and you're definitely a very good daddy to these two girls - I can't wait to see you with these babies." She hugged him as well,

"Thank y'all. Thank y'all so much." They both beamed with pride and joy,

Rayna put the knife down and turned to face Deacon, wrapping her arms around his neck as his arms snaked around her waist and he pressed his lips up against her softly. "I told you I make boys." He whispered in her ear, teasingly.

Rayna smirked and bit down on the inside of her bottom lip, "I'm glad you made at least one boy this time." She smiled and kissed him again,

"Damn, I love you, Ray."

"Damn, I love you too, Deacon."


End file.
